(a) A person with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance shall not be involuntarily admitted or committed to a state owned or operated hospital or treatment resource under chapter 6, part 4, of this title unless a mandatory prescreening agent provides one of the certificates for each set of certificates of need required by §§ 33-6-309, 33-6-404 and 33-6-408. If a mandatory pre-screening agent cannot examine the person within two (2) hours of the request to examine the person, then a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist with health service provider designation may examine the person and may provide one of the certificates if the physician or psychologist, in consultation with a member of a crisis response service designated by the commissioner to serve the county, determines that all available less drastic alternatives to placement in a hospital or treatment resource are unsuitable to meet the needs of the person.

(b) To the extent that funds are made available and in the interest of public safety, the department of mental health and substance abuse services shall coordinate with other departments and agencies of state government, community mental health centers and other health care providers to promote access to a continuum of appropriate services for persons in psychiatric emergencies, including, but not limited to, the following components:

(1) A toll-free telephone number for twenty-four-hour access, seven (7) days a week. The telephone line shall be linked to an appropriate psychiatric emergency service provider staffed by qualified personnel in order to provide crisis triage and intervention;

(2) Telephone and walk-in triage screening, telephone and mobile or walk-in face-to-face clinical assessment, intervention and follow-up; and

(3) Access to crisis respite and crisis stabilization beds.

(c) It is the legislative intent that the department of mental health and substance abuse services maintain funding for the portion of the emergency psychiatric services continuum for persons in need of such services who are not eligible for the TennCare program and are otherwise uninsured. In the event that appropriations to the department are not sufficient to fully support this portion of the emergency psychiatric services continuum, at least at the annualized levels provided as of January 1, 2009, then the department shall provide a report to the planning and policy council created by § 33-1-401 and the fiscal review committee created by § 3-7-101. The report shall identify all means the department intends to use to continue to make resources available.